Corrosion protection for long term storage

Long term storage can present a number of challenges for electro-mechanical systems such as aircraft or vehicles. Even under the most ideal storage circumstances, moisture will permeate into just about anything and ultimately cause problems. Often times with larger objects, outside storage is required.

For Engines, one needs to consider moisture getting into the fuel and oil systems as well as corrosion clogging up cooling systems. When storing anything with an engine and moving parts one needs to make sure the internal workings are protected as well as the exterior moving parts.

We would like to share three Cortec case studies that help illustrate solutions for long term outside storage.

First case study is with a private yacht. The customer wanted to store his boat over the winter in an outside environment in Minnesota. Minnesota is known for its harsh winters. The solution was to shrink wrap the Yacht using MilCorr™ shrink film. The film is easy to apply and it provides active protection from corrosion. Ordinary films just cover the product, but MilCorr™ shrink film uses Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VpCI®) technology which saturates the air with corrosion inhibiting molecules that bond to metal and form a protective barrier. The result was that the boat was completely rust free when unwrapped at the beginning of summer.

The second case study involved a customer wanting to store his plane for the winter in Massachusetts. The plane has a Lycoming 0-320 engine. The manufacturer recommended using VpCI® 326 as an oil additive. The engine was also sealed with desiccant plugs. The results were superb as an oil analysis by Blackstone Laboratories showed no increase in iron after 41.7 hours of use. The client was very happy with the results after storing this engine for 5 months in cold and wet conditions.

The third case study involved a CVR(T) Scimitar. This is a Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance with tracks. The owner wanted to store it outside for an extended period (over 3 years) while protecting it from corrosion.

The coolant system was treated with M640L, the oil system was treated with VpCI®-322, and the fuel system with VpCI®-705. The engine was then run for 15 minutes; this ensured all the internals of the engine were protected from corrosion during the storage period. VpCI®-132 Foam Pads were then placed at various areas on the outside of the vehicle and VpCI®-101 Emitters placed in the electronic boxes. The equipment was then wrapped using VpCI®-126 HP UV Shrink Film and shrunk to the vehicle using a butane powered heat shrink gun.

The result was outstanding as this high value asset was successfully protected during extended storage.

Cortec products provide low cost, environmentally friendly, short term and long term corrosion protection during extended storage. If you have storage or shipping challenges where corrosion is an issue, contact Packnet for a free consultation. More information on Cortec Corrosion Protection Products.